Noticeboard

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

From Monday 2nd September 2019 you surgery will be open:

At 8am Monday to Friday

On Thursday Afternoon from 2pm until 6.30pm

On Monday's your surgery will offer extended hours appointments between 6.30pm & 7.30pm. These appointments will be available for patients who cannot attend the surgery in core hours. (between 8am & 6.30am)

Appointments

How to see your doctor

Surgeries are held from 09:00am to 11:30am and 14:00pm to 18:00pm

You may consult any doctor in the practice by making an appointment at reception either in person, online or by telephone. Effort will be made to give a convenient appointment with the doctor of your choice, but if the receptionist is not able to a do so then an alternative will be suggested.

Urgent Appointments

A proportion of each day’s appointments are reserved for same-day booking, and these are particularly appropriate for acute illnesses.

We also offer five minute emergency appointments each day. These appointments may not be with your usual GP.

Punctuality

We aim to see most of our patients within 15 minutes of the appointment time so please arrive on time. Sometimes we will run late because a patient has presented us with more than one problem or has a particularly difficult problem. Please be tolerant if this happens – we would give you extra time also if you needed it.

Telephone Advice

Your doctor can also advise you over the telephone. Please ring between 11:30 and 12:00. The practice nurses can also give telephone advice about minor illnesses or health worries.

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

To access the online booking system you will need to request a username and password from the surgery.

Anyone who is a registered patient of the practice, can register for the on-line services (appointments and repeat prescriptions). Password and user name details may be given to parents for under 16 year olds. When the “child” turns 16, their current user information will cease and they will need to come in and register in their own rights as an adult if they wish to continue to use the online system.

How do patients register for online access?: Each individual ADULT patient will need to come in to the surgery with a valid form of photographic ID and proof of their address.

Can I register for the online services without coming in to the Surgery? No. You must come in IN PERSON WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC ID. This is so that we can verify that the login details are being given to the correct person and relate to the correct patient record.

Patients who are housebound should contact the practice manager by telephone for help with registering.

Once you have your username and password, you can access the online appointment booking/cancellation, online repeat prescription requests and view information from your medical records.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.